Pin.



J. WOOD.

PIN.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 1913.

3mm James Waod,

M M x E COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO..WASHINGTON. D. c.

TE STATES AT onion JAMES WOOD, 0F FITZDALE, VERMONT.

PIN.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES WOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fitzdale, in the county of Essex and State of Vermont, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pins, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to locking pins for draft connections or the like, and particularly to a locking device for connecting the draft bar of car brake equipment with the brake beam, and it has for its object the provision of a device of this character which may be readily applied to the objects to be connected and securely held in place therewith without the provision of threaded fastening elements, such as nuts or removable cotter pins or the like.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device which will automatically lock itself with the objects immediately on being advanced to a prescribed position.

A further object of the invention is the provision of retaining elements which are pivoted in the pin and which are yieldingly engaged by a common spring whereby to be held normally projected to locked positions.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a side view of the pin; and Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1.

The pin herein illustrated comprises a shank 1 having a head 2 at one end and a bifurcated portion 3 at its opposite end, the latter extending entirely through the shank 1 and opening directly onto the end thereof. Substantially identically constructed locking elements are reversely arranged in the bifurcation 3 and pivoted at 5 in the walls thereof. These elements are preferably arranged in diverging relation toward the head 2 and they are preferably reduced in the direction of the free end of the shank 1 and provided with axially arranged contacting surfaces 6. A spring 7 is arranged in the bifurcation 3 and interposed between the companion elements 4: and provided with legs 8 having offset terminals 9 which are extended into sockets 10 in the inner por- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 26, 1913.

Patented Jan. 29, 1%14.

Serial No. 763,931.

tions of said locking elements. The sockets are located immediately at the rear of the pivots 5, whereby the spring 7 under its inherent elasticity serves to normally hold the surfaces 6 in contact relatively through the axial center of the shank 1. The elements 4 have their pivotal supporting points 5 arranged with such regard to the longitudinal sides of the bifurcation 3 that the diverging surfaces 11 are normally projected for a considerable distance beyond the open sides of the bifurcation as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The inner ends of the elements L are provided with an enlarged portion 12 having locking surfaces 13 which extend at right angles to the plane of the shank 1 when the elements are in operative locked positions.

From the construction described, it is evident that the contacting surfaces 6 tend to hold the elements 4 in proper positions relatively, so as to facilitate the operation of guiding the pin through alined objects to be coupled. The surfaces 11 are adapted to be engaged by the walls of the passages in the objects when pressure is applied to the pins during the inserting operation, and in this manner said elements 4: will assume positions where the surfaces 11 will lie parallel with the shank 1 until the objects are entirely free from said elements. The elements then act automatically under the action of the spring 7 so as to cause the surfaces 13 to be projected to right angularly extending locking positions and parallel with the head 2. When it is desired to remove the pins from the objects with which they are connected, a suitable tool, (not shown), may be inserted between the surfaces 6 and actuated, so that the elements may be adjusted to cause the surfaces 11 thereof to lie parallel with the shank.

The surfaces 6 are provided preferably with small registering grooves 6 in which may be placed a wedge, if desired, during the operation of adjusting the elements 4L to inoperative positions.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construct-ion and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advan tages of this invention, as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A device of the character described comprising a shank having a head at one end and a longitudinal bifurcation at its opposite end, the bifurcation opening directly onto said opposite end, pivoted looking elements converging in the direction of the open end of the bifurcation and having surfaces terminating flush therewith, said elements caving portions projecting beyond the plane of the shank and a spring located in the bifurcation and terminally connected with said elements.

2. ll. device of the character described comprising a shank having a longitudinal slot at one end, pivoted locking elements located in the slot and having portions projecting laterally therebeyond and terminating in surfaces lying at right angles to the plane of the shank, the said elements having axially located contacting portions at the forward end of the slot and a spring located in the slot and having portions engaged with said elements and operating to normally hold the same in locked positions.

3. A device of the character described comprising a shank having a longitudinal slot therein opening onto one end of the shank, locking elements pivotally mounted in the slot and having portions projecting beyond the sides of the shank and having other portions arranged in mutual contact axially of the shank and provided with alined grooves.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES WOOD. l Vitnesses Donn GRANT, J. I. FoLsoM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

